Apparatus for packaging microwave dipoles



May 12, 1970 w SCHQPP ETAL 3,511,023

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MICROWAVE DIPQLES Filed Aug. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-l INVENTORS CARL E. POSTEL LLOYD If SCHOPP ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MICROWAVE DIPOLES Filed Aug. 16, 1967 L. W. SCHOPP ETAL May 12, 1970- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

INVENTORS CARL E. POSTEL LLOYD W. SCHOPP MMW ATTORNEYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 53-123 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for compacting a plurality of metallic slivers into a compact bundle and packaging the bundle in a suitable disposable container. The containers with the metallic slivers compacted inside are then cut to a specific length in order to form microwave dipoles.

It has long been known that microwave dipoles adapted to a particular radar frequency provide quite suitable chaff which can be dispensed from an airplane in order to confuse enemy radar. These microwave dipoles are usually formed from some type of metallic slivers which are all cut to reflect an individual wavelength so that as a cloud of the dipoles are dispensed from an airplane, an effective image is formed on the enemys radar.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide apparatus which is adapted to effectively efficiently, and quickly compact a multitude of the small metallic slivers or the like into a compact bundle and then transfer the tightly packed bundle into a tubular shaped disposable container which holds the metallic slivers, but which can be readily removed from the bundle to allow the slivers or chaff to be dispersed from an airplane.

Basically, the invention is comprised of an open-ended die means into which the metallic slivers are deposited, a pair of oppositely positioned pistons which when actuated enter the opposite open ends of the die means to compress the slivers into a substantially tubular shape, disposable container means removably positioned above the die means, piston means positioned below the die means, and pressure means actuating the piston means to force it upwardly into said die means whereby the piston means pushes the compacted metallic slivers out of the die means and into tight fitting enclosement within the disposable container means.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a broken away side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, taken on line 22 thereof particularly illustrating the open-ended die means and the piston means which when actuated enter the opposite open ends of the die means to compress the slivers deposited therein;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partially broken away, of the holder means utilized to removably hold the disposable container means as the slivers are pushed therein;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view particularly illustrating the way in which the disposable container means utilized to package the microwave dipoles have annular grooves cut therein to form various wavelength chaff in the same container; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a concentrically mounted frangible tube which may be utilized in the container means packaging the microwave dipoles.

Now referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the apparatus of the invention basically consists of four components. These are an open-ended die means genice erally indicated by the numeral 10, a pair of punches or piston means positioned on opposite sides of the die means, generally indicated by the numeral 12, a plunger positioned below the die means, generally indicated by the numeral 14, and a holder member positioned above the die means, generally indicated by the numeral 16.

Referring to these components in greater detail, the die means 10 is mounted on a suitable base 18 and is best illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2. The die means 10 is formed from a pair of vertically extending stationary side plate members 19 which are mounted on the base plate 18 so that the die means 10 is open on both ends thereof. Adapted to be dropped into the top opening 20 of the die means 10, as best seen in FIG. 2, are a plurality of small metallic slivers 22. Generally the entire area between the side plates 19 is completely filled in a loosely stacked relation with the metallic slivers 22 which are to form the microwave dipoles.

In order to compress the metallic slivers 22 which have been dropped into opening 20 between the side plates 19 into a compact shape, a separate piston means 12 are positioned in the opposite open ends of the die means 10 in opposed relation. The forward ends of piston heads 23 of the piston means 12 are concave in shape as at 24, and the piston heads 23 and rods 26 of the piston means 10 are driven or powered by suitable pressure cylinders 28, respectively, which are mounted to the base 18. As is best illustrated by FIG. 2, when the two piston heads 23 are powered inwardly into the die means '10, the concave leading edges 24 of the piston heads 23 complement with each other to form a substantially circular shaped opening therebetween. Thus, as the piston heads 23 of the pistons 12 are pressured inwardly, the metallic slivers 22 contained within the opening 20 are compressed into a substantially tubular shape.

The plunger means 14 is positioned adjacent the die means 10 in direct axial alignment with the circular shaped opening formed by the concave leading edges of the piston heads 23 as they are forced together in the die 10. It should be noted that the plunger means 14 extends through a circular shaped opening provided in the 'base plate 18 which positions it in direct axial alignment adjacent to one end or one extremity of the circular opening formed by the concave forward edges of the piston heads 23.

A hydraulic pressure cylinder, generally indicated by the numeral 34, receives the plunger means 14 and is adapted, upon actuation thereof to effect a sliding movement of the plunger means 14. The purpose of the pressure cylinder 34 is to provide a pressure source which selectively forces the plunger means 14 in an axial direction and into the formed opening between the concave forward edges of the piston heads 23. It should be noted that any suitable plunger means which achieves this effect of removing the compressed dipoles can be adapted to the apparatus of the invention.

As is best illustrated by FIG. 1, the plunger means 14 actually consists of two separate plunger members 44 and 46 with the plunger 46 being concentrically and slidably positioned inside of the plunger 44. The inner plunger 46 is capable of separate and selective sliding movement relative to the outer plunger member 44. Pressure cylinder 47 is provided to achieve separate movement of plunger 46. It should be noted that under standard operating conditions of the apparatus of the invention, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter, the forward or inner end of plunger member 46 will be positioned flush with the inner end of outer plunger member 44.

The holder member 16, mentioned briefly hereinbefore, is positioned vertically above the die means 10 and it is supported by a frame 48. The holder member 16, as is best illustrated by FIG. 3, consists of two halves 50 and 52 which are hinged together along an adjacent lateral margin thereof by a suitable hinge member 54. Half 50 is pivotally mounted to the frame 48 by a suitable pivot pin 53 to allow the holder member 16 to be swung away from the die means 10, as will be explained hereinafter. A suitable bar 55 is pivotally secured to the half 52 and a latch member 56 is mounted to the half 50 so that the bar and latch can be utilized to firmly lock and hold the two halves 50 and 52 together. Both halves have cut therein semi-circular grooves 60 and 62 which complement with each other when the two halves are positioned together to form a substantially circular shaped opening.

The purpose of the semi-circular grooves 60 and 62 is to firmly hold a container member generally indicated by the numeral 66 which is adapted to be positioned and firmly held therein when the halves 50 and 52 of the holder member 16 are latched together. The container member 66, best illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, is generally made from a plastic or paper tube which is open on both ends with the tube 66 having substantially the same inside diameter and length as the opening formed between the concave edges 24 of the piston heads 23.

In a summary of the actual operation of the apparatus of the invention, an empty tubular container member 66 is dropped intothe grooves 60 and 62 in the halves 50 and 52, respectively, of the holder member 16. The halves are then latched together by the bar 55 and latch member 5'6. An end plate 68, not shown in FIG. 3, is mounted to the holder member 16 by suitable bolt means 70 and once the bar 55 is pivoted into engagement with latch member 56, the empty container 66 is firmly held in the holder member 16 of the apparatus.

After such occurs, a plurality of the metallic slivers 22 are dropped into the opening 20 of the die with the piston means 12 then being pressured inwardly into the die means 10 to effect a compression of the metallic slivers into a substantially tubular shape. With the piston means 12 remaining in a fully extended or non-actuated position, pressure cylinder 34 is actuated so that the plunger member 14 is directed axially against the compacted slivers. It should be noted that the diameter of the plunger means is substantially the same as the diameter of the compacted slivers so that the movement of the plunger means 14 against the compacted slivers forces all the metallic slivers 22 out of the die means 10 and into the empty container 66 which is positioned adjacent to and in axial alignment with the compacted slivers by merely swinging holder member 16 about pivot pin 53 until it locks into proper, vertically aligned, position. As explained earlier, inner plunger member 46 normally will be in a flush position with the outer piston member 44 so that the plunger 14 effects a push of all the tightly compressed metallic slivers 22 into the empty container 66. After such has been accomplished, the bar 54 is unlatched from the latch member 56, half 52 of the holder member is pivoted away from the half 50, and the tubular container 66 is removed from the holder and sawed into slugs of a specified length so that the metallic slivers contained therein can match up to the particular radar wavelength desired. The tube 66 holds the metallic slivers 22 therein and also serves to protect the slivers from being damaged in transportation and handling. The metallic slivers 22 can be transferred from tube 66 to an aircraft discharge tube and dispensed as radar chaff.

Referring to FIG. 4, it sometimes is advisable to cut a plurality of circumferentially extending grooves 72 around the outer peripheral surface of the tube 66 and at the desired depths into the metallic slivers 22 contained therein so that the length of metallic slivers can match up to the particular radar wavelength desired. For example, the two radial cuts shown in FIG. 4 provide chaff of 5 different lengths as indicated by the crossed configuration on the top half of the drawing.

FIG. 5 illustrates that the chaff package 66 can be formed with a concentric frangible tube 74 positioned therein with metallic slivers 22 being tightly compressed between the inner frangible tube 74 and the inner wall 76 of the container 66. In order to utilize tube 74, all that need be done is to fully extend the inner plunger member 46 independently of plunger 44 by actuating cylinder 47 until the plunger member 46 completely extends into the die means 10, but not into the opening between grooves 60 and 62 of the holder 16.

The frangible tube 74 is then placed over the end of plunger member 46 until its lower end rests on the upper end of plunger 44. Next metallic slivers 22A are dropped into opening 20 of the die means 10. An empty container 66 is placed in grooves 60 and 62 of the holder member 16. Holder member 16 is then closed and latched shut. The holder member 16 is then swung into position above the die means 10 so that it is in direct axial alignment with plunger 44.

The metallic slivers 22A are then compacted by the piston means 12. While the piston means 12 is holding the slivers in a tightly compacted condition around the frangible tube 74, the plunger 44 is actuated which forces all of the slivers and the frangible tube 74 into the container 66. During this time there is no relative axial movement between the plunger 44 and the inner plunger 46.

Plunger 46 is next withdrawn from frangible tube 74 until the end of plunger 46 is flush with plunger 44. At this time both plungers return to their starting point with their ends flush with each other.

While a certain representative embodiment and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the inveniton.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for compacting metal slivers to form microwave dipoles including open-ended die means adapted to receive a specified amount of metallic slivers or the like, piston means cooperating with the die means to compress the slivers into a substantially cylindrical shape, plunger means positioned adjacent said die means in axial alignment with the compacted, cylindically shaped slivers, means to force said plunger means in an axial direction against the compacted slivers, holder means positioned adjacent said die means, opposite from but in axial alignment with the said plunger means, container means removably held by said holder means wherein actuation of the means forcing said plunger means against the compacted slivers pushes the slivers in an axial direction and into the container means, and wherein the diameter of the plunger means is substantially the same as the diameter of the compacted slivers whereby axially directed movement of the plunger means against the compacted slivers forces all the slivers compacted by said piston means into the receptacle provided by said container means, and Where radially directed grooves are cut through the container means and at various depths into the compressed slivers to provide slivers of selected length all within a single container means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 where the piston means comprises a pair of pistons positioned oppositely to each other in the open ends of said die means, the forward ends of said pistons being concave in shape.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said holder means consists of two halves hinged together along adjacent lateral margins, both halves having a semi-circular groove therein which fits the outside diameter of said container to firmly position the container in said holder, and wherein said container is a plastic tube 6 opened at both ends and having a slightly greater inside 2,057,121 10/1936 Trevellyan 53 -24 diameter than the outer diameter of the cylindrically 2,311,704 2/1943 Sinrison 5324 X shaped slivers compacted by said piston means. 2,595,046 4/1952 Amberg.

2,837,980 6/1958 Brewer. References Cited 5 2,872,761 2/1959 Michael 5324 UNITED STATES AT S 3,216,875 11/1965 Wenthe 83-54 X 2,092,786 9/1937 Taylor. 2,479,695 8/1949 Morin. WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner 335,516 2/1886 Flewwelling 144-326 US. Cl. X R 1,235,680 8/1917 Greco 53-23 10 124; 83 1;

2,014,815 9/1935 Rutledge. 

